Energy & Solar Applications

Renewable energy for a more sustainable future

With the supply of fossil fuels under stress, finding alternative and renewable sources of energy has been a focus of research and development in many sectors. One of the most promising sources of renewable energy is solar power. In contrast to the fossil fuels, solar power is unlimited and reduces the quantity of contamination and toxic waste that are contributing to global warming. In the most common applications, some type of solar panel - also called photovoltaic (PV) module - is used to collect the energy from the sun and convert it into electricity.

The Solar Market

The photovoltaic market is growing rapidly and at the end of November 2011 the installed capacity supplying electricity into the national grids reached 24 GW in over 100 countries. Over the course of the next few years, a significant increase in photovoltaic capacity is expected to come online, both in individual rooftop installation / building integrated as well as in utility-scale projects. With many regulators setting mandatory renewable energy standards, giving subsidies or instituting carbon-trading systems, the share of renewable energy is set to increase strongly in the coming years.

How does Amcor support this sector?

We supply the flexible parts of photovoltaic modules, i.e. TüV-certified backsheets, edge tape, special films and foils, back insulation and frontsheet. Our range of backsheet solutions includes fluorinated film based backsheets and PET based backsheets. Other Amcor photovoltaic solutions include extruded fluoropolymer films (like PVDF and ECTFE), encapsulation laminate types and transparent high barrier laminates for flexible solar cells. We are also active in the development of next generation solutions in multiple partnerships and projects, e.g. participating in project OSCAR, the development of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells for the solar industry. Through our global footprint, we can supply our customers worldwide.